Mr Lepper said police would have to work hard to rebuild confidence after unprofessional conduct and alleged harassment by police involving two teenagers was highlighted this week.
Central Otago police were already in the spotlight as criminal charges were laid recently against two officers, arising from separate incidents.
The head of Central Otago police, Senior Sergeant Ian Kerrisk, recently apologised to two teenagers for alleged harassment in July, which included teenagers being falsely accused of petty crimes, one of the teenagers being ''manhandled'', a home being searched by police without informed consent and police repeatedly parking outside one of the teenager's homes, the Central Otago News reported yesterday.
It said two of the officers involved had since left the police. Otago rural relieving area commander Inspector Olaf Jensen said police were not investigating the series of incidents as a criminal matter.
''Police have resolved this situation and to the best of our knowledge the families involved have not expressed a desire to make a formal complaint,'' he said.
The Independent Police Conduct Authority had not received any complaint about the incidents, a spokeswoman said.
Mr Lepper said the sequence of ''misconduct'' events involving the police meant they were ''definitely losing the respect of the community; the respect is eroding.''
''If there was a one-off matter involving the police, that's not so bad, but there's been two and up to three separate incidents now, and that's really of concern.''
A Central Otago police officer, who admitted making an intimate visual recording using a police-issued iPhone, appeared in the Alexandra District Court yesterday and was remanded to January 21.
The man, whose has interim name suppression, is seeking a discharge without conviction. He has resigned from the police.
Another Central Otago police officer has been charged with an assault at Cromwell and the case has been adjourned until January 19.
That police officer also has interim name suppression. Mr Lepper said a public meeting about policing issues was unnecessary but the community needed to see changes to rebuild faith in the police.
''How police go about that, I don't know.''
However, Mr Lepper was sure police could regain the community's confidence: ''I have the utmost faith in the senior members of the local police.''
He was concerned police might be ''targeting'' young people.
''I'm getting the impression they might be a bit heavy-handed at times with our youth.''
Asked what police were doing to remedy the public perception of them, Insp Jensen said, in general terms, Southern police had the highest level of trust and confidence in the country.
''... the overwhelming feedback we receive from the local community is that police in Central Otago have the community's trust and confidence.''
Policing often involved difficult situations of conflict and stress, he said.
''Inevitably, this means there are sometimes a few people who are unhappy with an outcome or process and we always do our best to fairly resolve any issues raised.''
The Southern district, at present, had a lower than average number of complaints against police, Insp Jensen said. District youth workers contacted by the Otago Daily Times praised how police dealt with the area's young people.
''I've worked with several police in different roles and have always found they're doing the very best they can,'' Alexandra and Districts youth worker Jess Laurent said.
Roxburgh Youth worker Paul Mahoney said the Teviot Valley's sole policeman was proactive in dealing with issues like cyberbullying and got on well with young people.
